Gilbert Arenas: Captain Of The NBA All-Fail Team
The last few days I have been looking over the NBA's rosters for the 2010-2011 season, and seeing so much potential. There are so many players today on the rise to stardom that NBA fans have got to feel lucky about what they will see in the coming years.
As always, there is a flip side to this coin. There is also a handful of NBA players who seemed destined to become major talents in the league, that due to a number of reasons will never live up to their potential.
I decided to make a list of these members that would assemble my NBA: All-Fail Team 2010.
Each member of this squad fails for different reasons, or a combination of several from the list.
One thing is for sure, these guys are going nowhere fast.
Josh Howard
1 of 6
Our Small Forward starter on the NBA All-Fail Team suffers for a multitude of reasons.
This is not to say he hasn't had his day in the sun, he certainly did. For over a year he appeared to be on the cusp of greatness on the Mavericks. Then a number of incidents took him promptly out of the spot light, and into the dungeon on the NBA.
The first problem Howard ran into was drug usage. Several players have been caught violating the NBA's drug policy in recent years, only one player (Howard) has openly admitted to doing so.
Josh Howard gave us the first clear indication that he has no control over his mouth by openly admitting that he enjoyed smoking Marijuana. His image took a bit of a hit over this incident, but the pain just beginning.
The second offense was much more high profile. Josh Howard was caught on camera at a charity event disrespecting America's National Anthem.
He added in his tirade that his race had something to do with his disregarding America's Anthem. This incident gave us a second indication that Howard could not control his mouth, and made Josh a marketing disaster area.
The knock-out punch came on the NBA hardwood, as Howard's play began to steadily decline.
Over the next few months he went from rising star, to NBA misfit. The Mavericks decided to deal him off their roster, and no one has seen or heard much about Howard since.
Kwame Brown
2 of 6
....And people say the Lakers never have Dark Days. (Shivers)
If there was ever an anchor for the NBA All-Fail Team, it's Kwame Brown. Brown was drafted by the Washington Wizards with their first pick in 2001.
He had already signed a letter of intent to Florida, but elected to instead join the NBA claiming to Wizards Brass: "If you draft me, you'll never regret it!"
We all know how that turned out.
Kwame's rookie campaign could be described as dismal at best. He showed little to no development during his first season, averaging only 4.5ppg and 3.5rpg.
He showed small statistical improvements over the next two years, but nothing the organization was expecting him to. After this third year Kwame rejects a 30 million dollar deal from the Washington Wizards to test Free Agency.
Really?? Did He really think he was worth more than 30 million?? I wouldn't have even offered Three Million.
The fourth year with the Wizards Kwame continued down his spiral, feuding with Coach Eddie Jordan and teammate Gilbert Arenas. He began cutting practices to dodge Gilbert, and even got caught at a restaurant one night after skipping practice due to a "stomache ailment".
The Wizards then suspended Brown for the duration of the playoffs.
Brown has since seen numerous run-ins with the Law. He was accused of sexual assault in 2007, and threw a cake at a man in Hermosa Beach.
Kwame Brown has proven himself to be a terrible decision maker, and that much more than his "small hands" has prevented him from being anything but a failure in this league.
J.R Smith
3 of 6
J.R Smith does not make this list for outlandish incidents off the court.
(Even with all of his vehicle accidents)
The truth of the matter is that Smith will never be the player he could be because of his terrible temper. Players like Kobe Bryant can actually play better when angry..
Not most players however, and certainly not Smith.
Smith has proven to be an incredibly streaky shooter with unlimited range on the court. When his temper and ego get involved however, you roll the dice with J.R.
His temper gets him into trouble by affecting his decision making and shot selection on the court in a big way. When Smith gets angry he could just as easily shoot you out of a game as he could in.
His production through the years has been decent. No one can truly call him a bust of a player without some solid explanation. He makes my All-Fail list simply because he will never become the player he could have been.
Someone with his shooting touch and range could have truly been something special to the league if not for that temper.
Smush Parker
4 of 6
Seeing Smush in this picture is like living a nightmare all over again.
Smush was signed by the Cavaliers in 2003, but remained unnoticed until he began starting for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. His production was impressive in the first few games, so he kept his starting spot.
Smush may have started in 165 straight games for L.A, but he was never really welcome as a player. His inability to catch a pass or complete a simple lay up would make purple and gold fans cringe the World over.
With Parker starting at the point and Kwame Brown at the five spot, the Lakers were begining to look like Kobe Bryant and the D-Leaguer's. When young talent Jordan Farmar joined the squad later on, Smush instantly lost his starting job.
Parker signed with the Heat in 2007, and his averages lowered dramatically to 4.8ppg and 1.7apg.
Since his stint with the Heat, Parker has played in the NBA D-League, Chinese professional teams, and now with a Russion Pro-Squad.
Parker was also known by his teammates to be extremely volitale and temperamental. He ran into legal issues after striking a Valet after they could not find his ticket.
Smush Parker is the perfect example of Fail because he always acted as if he was a gift to basketball, when in reality he was a marginal player at best.
I doubt he will find himself on an NBA roster in the future with his low level of play and terrible attitude.
Gilbert Arenas
5 of 6
Gilbert Arenas was always known as a goofy guy by teammates, and this lead to most people wondering if it would ever come back to hurt him.
Boy did it ever.
Arenas was drafted by the Warriors in 2001, but they did not enjoy too much success with him on the roster. Gilbert rose to a new level in Washington after having a career year in 2005-2006. He became known as a clutch shooter, avid competitor, and goofy teammate.
He then suffered a myriad of injuries, which kept him off the court for all but eight games in 2007-2008. (Knee Injury)
After spending much time rehabbing since the injury, Gilbert found himself in worse trouble than he or anyone else could have predicted.
Arenas quickly gained a reputation of being a compulsive gambler with other players during practices, on team flights, and bus rides to pass the time. Gambling also proved to be the root of Arenas' biggest blunder yet.
Arenas admitted on December 24th 2009 that he had stored unloaded hand guns in his locker at the Verizon Center.
The whole incident came to be after Gilbert apparently refused to pay Javaris Crittenton for a gambling debt he incurred on the teams plane, while returning home after a road game.
Javaris then made a remark to Arenas about guns that he owned, to which Gilbert showed up in front of Criitentons locker with three handguns.
This is only one version of the story however, as some speculate on if this incident was actually a joking matter as they claim it was, or if the players were actually threatening each other.
Arenas was swiftly suspended by David Stern, and his reputation has taken a serious beating since this for "making light" of the incident several times after the fact.
If this gun incident was a "joke" or not remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, and that is Gilbert Arenas has some serious growing up to do.
His actions were a terrible example for the youth of America, and an awful skid mark on the NBA's already suffering reputation.
Gilbert's actions have by far earned him the Captain title of this Fail Squad. Who knows if Gilbert will ever be able to recover image wise from all of this.
When All Else Fails
6 of 6
When you have exhausted all options, searched under everything, and still come up with nothing, don't pick these guys up.
Every example player I have listed in this article would end up damaging both your teams chemistry, and ability to win games.
They are unmotivated, childish, and self serving individuals who have proven that they cannot handle the position they have been put in.
Who will be next to join the All-Fail Team next year?
While we hope for the best for all NBA players, someone will undoubtedly make a terrible decision that leads me to add them next year.
Until then we wait with baited breathe for the next headline that will devastated a stars career.
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